Sports
Report: NCAA finalizing expansion to 76-team tournaments
The NCAA could formalize expansion of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to a 76-team format as soon as Thursday, ESPN reported on Wednesday night.
The tournament fields will expand from 68 teams beginning in 2027, with NCAA calls scheduled for Thursday as the final steps in the process, ESPN reported.
The NCAA denied any final decision had been made following multiple reports in late April that plans for expansion are expected to be approved by NCAA committees and formalized as soon as this month.
“Expanding the basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees, including the men’s and women’s basketball committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time,” the NCAA’s April 28 statement read.
The format change requires approval from the men’s basketball committees, the men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees, the Division I cabinet and the Division I Board of Governors.
ESPN reported on Wednesday that after expansion talks for more than a year, and contracts with the men’s tournament media partners near completion in late April, the final steps are expected to be smooth.
Multiple outlets reported last month that the NCAA plans for 52 teams to slot into the main bracket and the other 24 teams will face off in 12 games on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday, filling out the Round of 64 with the winners. It will no longer be called the “First Four,” with the terminology expected to be “opening round” for the play-ins and “first round” for the Round of 64.
The 12 games are expected to be in Dayton, Ohio, current site of the First Four, and a second site to be determined.
It would mark the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had previously been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.
The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference were the leading voices behind tournament expansion, Yahoo Sports reported in April. NCAA president Charlie Baker has also voiced his support.
“I said all along that I think there are some very good reasons to expand the tournament,” Baker told ESPN in February. “So, I would like to see it expand.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (elbow) set for Wednesday surgery
Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left elbow Wednesday.
The surgery to remove loose bodies in his pitching elbow is being performed by prominent surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, per the New York Post, which added he could return to pitch in about two months.
Skubal experienced discomfort last Wednesday in his start against the Atlanta Braves. He gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings and departed the game with a 3-2 lead, but the Detroit bullpen couldn’t hold the advantage in the 4-3 loss. Skubal struck out seven.
In a throwing session on Sunday, Skubal reported further discomfort, and testing revealed the loose bodies, manager A.J. Hinch said Monday.
Skubal, 29, is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA over seven starts this season. He led the American League with a 2.21 ERA over 31 starts and 195 1/3 innings last season when he won his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award.
–Field Level Media
Sports
USGA: 'Not a race' for U.S. Open to match Masters prize money
Jun 12, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Chief executive officer Mike Whan with the USGA address the media during a press conference for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images The U.S. Open has yet to decide if it will give the Masters a run for its proverbial money on payouts, USGA CEO Mike Whan told Front Office Sports.
The 2026 Masters increased its prize money by $1.5 million to a record purse of $22.5 million, with Rory McIlroy pocketing a record-setting winner’s check of $4.5 million.
The U.S. Open’s purse over the last two years was $21.5 million, with J.J. Spaun taking home $4.3 million for winning the tournament in 2025.
“To be determined,” Whan told FOS on Tuesday at the U.S. Open media day when asked about a potential payout boost. “We make that decision with the board usually the week before we play. But to me, it’s not a race. It wouldn’t bother me a bit if Augusta was more or less the same.”
The U.S. Open has paid out the largest purse among the four major championships since 2017.
“It’s funny to admit this out loud, but no, we really don’t talk about it,” Whan said of the monetary difference among the major championships. “… But if you ask me right now what the purse of the other two majors were, I don’t think I’d get within a million dollars of correct.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Detroit lands PWHL expansion team in 2026-27
PWHL Detroit will begin play with the 2026-27 season. Hockeytown is getting a franchise in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
On Wednesday, the league designated Detroit as a PWHL city beginning with the 2026-27 season. As many as three more teams could be added to the current eight-team league before the next season starts.
The selection of the Motor City can be tied in with the PWHL’s relationship with the Ilitch family, whose holdings include the NHL’s Red Wings as well as MLB’s Tigers. The PWHL team will play its home games at Little Caesars Arena, the domain of the Red Wings.
“Detroit is one of the great hockey cities, shaped by generations of players, teams, and fans who have helped grow the game at every level. Bringing a PWHL team to Little Caesars Arena is an exciting next step for our city and for the continued momentum of women’s hockey,” said Chris Ilitch, president and CEO of the Ilitch Companies.
“This moment also reflects our broader vision of using sports as a catalyst for Detroit’s continued revitalization — strengthening community engagement, supporting economic growth, and contributing to the city’s long-term development. We’re proud to support the PWHL’s growth, welcome these athletes to our city, and inspire the next generation of women and girls to pursue the game at the highest level.”
Detroit hosted the league’s first neutral-site game during its inaugural season in 2024. The city, in fact, has hosted four PWHL games, including setting a then-U.S. arena attendance record for women’s hockey of 14,288 on March 16, 2025, On March 28, 2026, a women’s hockey attendance high of 15,938 watched the Takeover Tour game at Little Caesars Arena.
“Detroit has been part of PWHL history since the beginning; from the support shown at our first-ever neutral site game at Little Caesars Arena, the city and fans have helped lead the way for the future of pro women’s hockey,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president, business operations.
“Led by our incredible partner Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, Detroit proved time and time again they are ready for a team of their own. We are so proud to permanently join Hockeytown with the introduction of PWHL Detroit.”
The Ilitch family will not own the Detroit club. All PWHL teams are centrally owned by Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra. Walter owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Also Wednesday, the PWHL also announced Detroit will host the league’s draft and awards ceremony in mid-June.
–Field Level Media
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (elbow) set for Wednesday surgery
USGA: 'Not a race' for U.S. Open to match Masters prize money
